Bayern’s Gomez in Serie A switch

Bayern Munich have confirmed that they have reached an agreement with ACF Fiorentina over the transfer of Mario Gomez.

Gomez had fallen behind Mario Mandzukic in the pecking order at the Allianz Arena last season, and with Jürgen Klopp having all but confirmed that Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski will be a Bayern player for the 2014/15 season, Gomez has secured a move away from the club.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge met with Fiorentina’s president Andrea Della Valle on Monday and after an agreement in principle was reached between the two clubs, Gomez will now travel to Florence to complete the deal. “It was Mario’s wish to leave Bayern for Fiorentina, and after talks we have been able to comply with that,” said Rummenigge of the transfer.

Financial details are not official as of now, although sources including Bild state the fee at being between €16-20m – meaning Bayern will lose up to half of the then-record €33m sum they paid to bring Gomez to the Allianz from VfB Stuttgart.

Napoli, on the verge of losing striker Edinson Cavani to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, were also interested in securing Gomez’s signature but will have to turn their attentions elsewhere while Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic is expected to want out of the Viola in this window.

27 year-old Gomez, a 58-time German international, began his career at Stuttgart in 2003 and went on to score 87 times in 156 appearances in six seasons for the Swabians – becoming a Bundesliga winner for the first time in 2007 and picking up the award for German Footballer of the Year in the process.

A German record transfer to Bayern followed in 2009, and after 113 goals in 174 appearances despite a shaky first season in Bavaria, Gomez departs for Italy having won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, DFL Supercup and finally the UEFA Champions League two months ago during his time with the Rekordmeister.

Bayern have already signed Mario Götze and Jan Kirchhoff this season and Pep Guardiola’s first three games in charge have seen his new side score over 30 goals as they prepare to defend titles on four fronts this season.

Meanwhile heading northwest, sought after Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is expected to complete a move to Dortmund today after the two clubs agreed a deal for the Armenian following the signing of Saint-Etienne’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.